Listen to this articleAndrés Acebo
New Jersey City University
The 13th president of New Jersey City University, Acebo is the first-generation son of Cuban exiles and a Hudson County native who grew up in Union City and maintained strong ties to the community. In January 2023, he became only the third Hispanic to serve as the leader of a four-year public institution of higher education in the state, and is the youngest known president to ever lead a public university in New Jersey. In less than two years of widely praised mission-driven servant leadership, Acebo has demonstrated extraordinary vision, guiding NJCU from a fiscal emergency to a recovery. Under his leadership, NJCU achieved its first balanced operating budget since 2017 — transforming a $22.7 million deficit into financial stability. Taking office during a financial emergency, Acebo orchestrated four major strategic initiatives: the NJCU Recovery and Revitalization Plan (April 2023), the university’s first Academic Master Plan (February 2024), first Strategic Enrollment Plan (April 2023), and inaugural Student Development and Community Engagement Strategic Plan (December 2024). Acebo has forged key partnerships with other colleges, highlighted by the Hudson Connect Program with Hudson County Community College, and similar agreements with Essex County College and Mercer County Community College.
Monica Amadio
Stockton University
When Stockton University launched a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship this semester, Amadio was the obvious choice as chair. The program is designed for students who want to start their own ventures or bring innovation into established organizations, and Amadio is an entrepreneur, author, business strategist and consultant, who brings decades of expertise and wisdom to the position, sharing her real-life experiences in the realms of business, entrepreneurship, personal finance, information technology, leadership and more with students. She also mentors and develops the next generation of women entrepreneurs. “The growth of women-owned businesses continues to bolster the U.S. economy,” Amadio wrote in her own 2020 dissertation, Success Strategies of High Achieving Women Entrepreneurs in Technology-Related Sectors. “Identifying and addressing obstacles that undermine the success of these organizations and the women who lead them is critical to generate innovation and enhance productivity that will improve the cycle of job creation, wealth building, and economic growth.”
Craig Arnold
Princeton University
Princeton University’s vice dean for innovation since 2022, Arnold became the school’s first university innovation officer with the establishment of the Office of Innovation July 1, 2024, providing academic leadership for innovation and entrepreneurship activities across campus. He brings an impressive background to the role, having received an Edison Patent Award from the Research & Development Council of New Jersey for the creation of an adjustable lens that focuses light in response to sound waves in 2017. Arnold also holds 13 granted patents and is the co-founder of two companies based on research conducted at Princeton: TAG Optics Inc., which developed the TAG lens and was later acquired by a major precision instrument manufacturer; and Invictis Technologies, which is working to create a safer and less painful automated intravenous injection device. As part of his mission at the Office of Innovation, Arnold has established a network of people, ideas, and partnerships working to build a culture of connectivity and impact. The milestones to date include launching of a workforce hub that goes beyond preparing people for jobs, also addressing the evolving meaning of work; a regional photonics consortium; international trade missions, corporate visits, conferences, and pitch sessions.
Michael Avaltroni
Fairleigh Dickinson University
A long-time faculty member and administrator, Avaltroni previously served as interim president of Fairleigh Dickinson University since Jan. 1, 2023. He was appointed as FDU’s ninth president April 26, 2023, and is the first FDU graduate to lead the school. Since becoming president, Avaltroni has led several initiatives, including engaging the FDU community in the strategic-planning process that produced a plan titled “FDU Will Soar.” Driving the planning process has been a renewed emphasis on putting students first and on prioritizing those items and initiatives that will most significantly and positively impact students. Among other notable recent initiatives during his tenure, the university created FDU Health, a new division uniting programs in the health sciences. It also established Lifelong Learning at FDU, an initiative to educate across the lifespan. In 2025, Avaltroni announced the launch of FDU HealthPath Forward, a new strategic initiative that will build a coalition of institutions to help develop health care-related programs, enhance workforce training, foster innovation in the sector and position the campuses as hubs for lifelong learning, health and wellbeing. Under his guidance, FDU also successfully concluded the capital campaign “One University, Many Dreams,” which raised approximately $90 million, easily surpassing its original goal of $75 million.
Joe Bertolino
Stockton University
Now in his third year as president of Stockton University, Bertolino continues to lead innovations. Among them, the university is rolling out a new strategic plan this month. Shaped by input from more than 1,000 members of its community, the plan reflects shared vision and values, organized around five key themes: Cultivate a Community of Care – Belonging and Pridel; Inspire Minds – Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship; Empower Student Success; Anchor in Purpose – Serving the Region and Beyond; Sustain Tomorrow – Stewardship and Innovation.
“At Stockton, we take an authentic, interdisciplinary approach to education,” he explained. “This approach provides maximum flexibility and better financial options for students. It will open more doors for them from a career perspective, and it will expose them to other facets of the world and other skill sets for your future.” Bertolino sees the university’s role as preparing students “to reinvent themselves multiple times throughout their lives because the world we know right now will not be the world their children experience. We want to teach students how to be able to pivot, adjust and reinvent themselves as the world around them changes.”
He also focuses on creating an “ethic of care,” asking Stockton community members and students to “be part of something bigger than themselves.”
Jane Bokunewicz
Stockton University
Jane Bokunewicz is the faculty director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism and a professor of hospitality, tourism, and event management studies at Stockton University. She brings more than two decades of hands-on experience in the Atlantic City casino industry, including 12 years as vice president of administration at Tropicana Atlantic City, where she played a key role in strategic planning at the executive level and was part of the management team that launched the retail dining and entertainment complex, “The Quarter.” Joining Stockton in 2012, Bokunewicz was appointed faculty director of LIGHT in 2020. Under her leadership, the institute launched the International Journal of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism, a double-blind, peer-reviewed publication connecting academic research with industry practice. Bokunewicz is a frequent contributor to media discussions, providing expert commentary on industry trends, gaming reports, and policy developments. She is a regular source for journalists, including NJBIZ, who rely on her deep knowledge and insights into the gaming and hospitality sectors.
Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Boscamp has been a driving force at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine from its inception. The idea of creating a new medical school with a fresh way of training 21st-century doctors was developed between Boscamp — a pediatrician and longtime clinical leader — and Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert Garrett, with input from other leaders. Boscamp continues to develop innovative programs at the School of Medicine helping to shape a new generation of physicians who learn, teach and take care of patients in a humanitarian and holistic way. The school seated its first of eight cohorts in 2018, became fully accredited in 2023 and has graduated five classes as of 2025. Along the way, it has become known as a leader for a new way of learning: a unique curriculum linking the basic science with clinical relevance, integrated in a team-oriented, collaborative environment. Boscamp has filled a variety of roles and spearheaded new innovations in care and learning over decades at what has become Hackensack Meridian Health, developing, promoting, and organizing programs at HMH and the School of Medicine to promote lifelong learning across the continuum of undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education and continuing medical education.
Charles Brown
Rutgers University
Growing up, Brown lived on the perimeter of the Rutgers University-Newark Campus, but never really had an understanding of what the place was or the opportunities it held. “I see myself in these students,” he said. Today, as assistant dean for inclusion, diversity, equity, and access at Rutgers Business School, Brown oversees a portfolio of programs that helps with the recruitment, development and retention of underrepresented student populations. Besides serving as a dean, Brown is also a mentor and cheerleader. His recognitions include being honored with an “authentic leadership” award by the Tri-State Diversity Council. Brown started at Rutgers Business School in 2013, leading the Office of Diversity’s programming. During his tenure, the office has built out a portfolio of programs, including the Pre-College Enrichment Program, and the award-winning Business Students in Transition at Rutgers, or B-STAR. His office works to recruit high-performing underrepresented students and, with B-STAR, to ensure their success once they begin their studies at Rutgers. Among the programs within the office’s Pathways Leading to Undergraduate Success Portfolio is NextUp, a one-day event that provides underrepresented high school freshman and sophomores with an introduction to the college admissions process, financial aid and the value of attending business school.
Jackie Burke
NJ Council of County Vocational Technical Schools
In 2021, Burke took the helm of the Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, which represents the 21 New Jersey county vocational-technical school districts. She brings an extensive public policy background to the role and helped advocate for the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act, which included $275 million in state bond funding to expand county vocational-technical schools. Those expansion projects are nearing completion and the results are impressive: 4,736 seats added to accommodate more students; 47 new career programs; 34 expanded career programs; 10 new customized buildings and 11 building additions to house the new and expanded programs; 14 new higher education partnerships; and 1,177 additional vocational school graduates expected annually as a result of this investment. The results extend far beyond these numbers. New Jersey has become a model for delivering accessible and highly relevant career programs to students throughout the state. Students benefit by getting a head start on their future career goals, while New Jersey industries benefit from a growing workforce prepared to step into increasingly technical roles required for growth.
Dale Caldwell
Centenary University
New Jersey voters are getting to know Caldwell quite well. Now in his third year as Centenary University’s president, Caldwell has made significant progress in the university’s strategic initiative to extend its brand across the national stage. Last spring, Centenary’s competitive business team, Enactus, placed third at the 2025 Enactus USA National Exposition nationals in Kansas City, Mo., while two of the University’s equestrian teams placed in the top four in the country, and two individual riders emerged as national champions. In July, Centenary gained international headlines with the launch of a new Ph.D. in Happiness Studies — the world’s first doctoral program in the field (page 6). The program builds on the success of Centenary’s Master of Arts in Happiness Studies, which enrolls students from around the world. Centenary has also built stronger partnerships with the local business community through the Centenary University Institute of Entrepreneurship, which opened in 2024. And then there is the election in November. U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, recently chose Caldwell as her lieutenant governor running mate.
Daniel Cassino
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Cassino is a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He also serves as executive director of the FDU Poll, leading experimental research on public opinion and political behavior, appearing regularly on television broadcasts about politics in the New York area and internationally, and frequently contributing to and being quoted in such major national publications as The Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Atlantic. But Cassino is much more than a talking head. His scholarly output includes several books and widely used textbooks, such as “Consuming Politics: Jon Stewart, Branding, and the Youth Vote in America” (2009), “Fox News and American Politics” (2016), and a leading text in social science research methods. His research explores how media consumption — especially of outlets like Fox News — affects political knowledge, as well as how threats to masculinity can shape political attitudes and behaviors. Cassino’s work, often intersecting with sociologist Yasemin Besen-Cassino (his wife and frequent collaborator), has also addressed issues like workplace sexual harassment, gender dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the social consequences of shifting gender roles.
Dr. Thomas Cavalieri
Rowan University
Cavalieri, a geriatrician and professor of medicine, serves as vice president, senior advisor for healthcare and medical education for Rowan University. Previously, Cavalieri was the Inaugural vice president of the Virtua Health College of Medicine and Life Sciences and chief academic officer for Virtua Health, where he worked to create a new academic health system in South Jersey. For 17 years, Cavalieri served as dean of the School of Osteopathic Medicine — first as part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and as the school was integrated into Rowan University. During his tenure, the undergraduate curriculum was modernized, class size grew three times larger and the school expanded to a second campus in Sewell to become the state’s largest medical school. Cavalieri also facilitated the development of the school’s several centers of excellence that serve the needs of underserved populations, including the NJ Institute for Successful Aging, which he founded in 1986, as well as the NeuroMusculoskeletal Institute, Child Abuse Research, Education and Services (CARES) Institute, and the Regional Integrated Special Needs Center. Currently, he serves as a member of the board of directors of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
Tauhid Chappell
New Jersey Cannabis Training Academy
When Chappell was appointed executive director of the New Jersey Cannabis Training Academy in 2023, the organization existed only as a concept. Since then, the institution has launched more than 60 online modules that educate the public on the cannabis licensing application process, hired 25 cannabis instructors — who all have a track record of success in winning cannabis licenses inside or outside of New Jersey, and provided a webinar series that educates and informs legacy operators on the pathway into the legal regulated market. With Chappell at the helm, the academy has also launched an additional curriculum focused on the cannabis ID badging process, which enables all cannabis employers and workers to meet their annual training requirements under Cannabis Regulatory Commission rules; executed a digital, social and physical marketing campaign to raise awareness of the academy’s no-cost technical assistance program; and successfully registered more than 1,600 students, including 50 licensed cannabis businesses, that are going through the academy’s badging curriculum. In accomplishing all this, he has led the academy to become a national model as the largest, most comprehensive, government-backed cannabis technical assistance program in the U.S.
Eugene Cornacchia
Georgian Court University
Cornacchia has served as interim president of Georgian Court University since February 2025. Since taking office, he has advanced new partnerships that expand the university’s reach and opportunities for students. Most notably, Georgian Court joined with the Western Atlantic University School of Medicine to launch an Accelerated Combined Bachelor/MD Program, allowing highly qualified students to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a Doctor of Medicine in as few as six years, beginning in the Fall 2026 semester. The university also signed an agreement with the Ocean County Police Academy to award academy graduates college credit toward GCU’s Criminal Justice program. This fall, Georgian Court welcomed a freshman class representing 12 states and 10 countries; 59% of the students are the first in their families to attend college, underscoring the university’s commitment to access and student success. A proven fundraiser and strategic planner, Cornacchia led record-breaking campaigns that raised over $130 million.
Donna Custard
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The longtime president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Custard is responsible for directing program and service initiatives that help drive current and future members of the workforce to be globally competitive and successful. Based in Trenton, the nonprofit organization runs programs that help high school students explore career options, develop professional skills and chart paths to post-secondary success. Its work includes training educators as well as supporting workforce readiness initiatives across the state. Most recently, NJCCF’s flagship program, Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey received a special proclamation from state Sen. Shirley Turner, D-15th District; Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, D-15th District; and Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli, D-15th District, for its commitment to at-risk youth in the state – especially those facing economic challenges. During the course of her more than three decades in nonprofit and workforce development, Custard has focused her efforts on major fundraising campaigns and program design and implementation for system reform.
Morris Davis
White House Council of Economic Advisers
Davis is the chief housing economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers and currently on leave as the Paul V. Profeta Chair of Real Estate and Academic Director of the Center for Real Estate Studies at Rutgers Business School, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. He previously held the James A. Graaskamp Chair of Real Estate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and served as Academic Director of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate. Earlier in his career, Davis was an economist at the Federal Reserve Board, routinely briefing Alan Greenspan on housing and macroeconomic policy, and has been a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Banks of Chicago and Minneapolis. Widely published on U.S. housing markets, Davis has developed price indexes for land in residential use – and serves as a frequent lecturer at universities and central banks worldwide. He has also served on public company boards and is regularly consulted by major media outlets on housing trends. In March, Davis was appointed to the CEA to advise the president on policies to increase housing supply and reduce costs.
Natasha Davis and Natalie Prisock
The BLOC Foundation
Davis and Prisock founded The BLOC (Black Ladies of Construction) Foundation in 2021, a 100% minority women-owned real estate development and investment firm. Already barrier breaking in its constitution, the Elizabeth-based organization also offers a variety of programs and services to help spread equity throughout the traditionally male-dominated real estate and construction industry by serving and uplifting women, veterans and minorities. Its 12-week construction course prepares learners to obtain OSHA 30 certification, which serves as a critical asset for individuals looking to advance in the field. Launched in 2023, the hands-on learning experience offers practical skills as well as financial support and a pathway toward securing employment. The organization has also secured nearly $850,000 in grants through the New Jersey Builders Utilization Initiative for Labor Diversity program to expand its free training program. So far, The BLOC Foundation has graduated about 60 students; while the recent grants will allow it to train 80 students.
Clifford Dawkins
Rutgers Law School
A graduate of Rutgers Law School and managing partner in the firm Dawkins & Warrington Law Group, Dawkins has served as assistant dean at the law school since 2021. Under his guidance, the Minority Student Program — which provides academic support, mentorship, and summer internship opportunities to law students who are underrepresented in the legal field and who have overcome socio-economic or educational challenges — has increased enrollment, from about 30 scholars to current cohorts of more than 100. Dawkins has also developed deep relationships with local employers like LVMH, HSBC, Verizon, Prudential and PSE&G, in addition to a variety of small-, medium- and large-sized law firms; legal nonprofits; government agencies; and the state and federal judiciaries. “Our training and networking programs support our MSP Scholars in securing meaningful internships, honing valuable skillsets, passing the bar exam, and getting hired,” he said. Among other recent developments, MSP is introducing law students to artificial intelligence. “We see that legal practitioners are experimenting with AI, so we have started to track the way AI impacts the practice of law, and its ethical implications; and are integrating that knowledge into our programs,” said Dawkins.
Monica Driscoll
Rutgers University
Driscoll joined the faculty of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Rutgers University in 1991, where she is currently appointed as a distinguished professor. Driscoll’s lab studies the basic biology of aging with a focus on molecular mechanisms of healthspan extension via genetic, chemical, and exercise interventions. Overall, her group is dedicated to elaborating molecular, cellular, and trans-tissue strategies that drive healthy maintenance and protect against age-associated decline. Driscoll has been an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, and has received an Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award and a Glenn Foundation Award for Research in Biological Mechanisms of Aging. She has been elected to the Academy for Healthspan and Lifespan Research and to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. “We know of two interventions that can promote healthy aging and protect against age-associated diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and diabetes; these are dietary restriction and exercise,” Driscoll said. “Dietary restriction is unpleasant. Exercise can be pleasant — when finished — but many choose not to exercise and some cannot. Still, one can expect that detailed understanding of molecular, cellular, and system-wide circuits that promote and maintain long-term benefits of exercise can inform on the biology of resilience mechanisms.”
Dr. Matthew Edson
Rowan University
When Edson decided to be a veterinarian, there were no schools in the Garden State with that educational option. So the South Jersey native had to go out-of-state — and pay a higher, non-resident tuition — to pursue his dream, Now, as founding dean of New Jersey’s first veterinary school, located in Harrison Township, Edson hopes that other aspiring veterinarians in the state will face less of a cost barrier as they pursue their dream job. The facility, which just opened, features educational and research space, and a multispecialty veterinary teaching hospital that will be open to the public starting in October. The first cohort is made up of 75 students, 40 of whom are New Jersey residents. “Having an in-state veterinary program will reduce the debt burden for many aspiring New Jersey veterinarians,” explained Edson. He was involved with the project from the beginning, around 2019, when Rowan University selected him as the consultant for a feasibility study that eventually led to state funding for the endeavor. Edson is also a businessperson, as founder and owner of Rancocas Veterinary Associates, a multi-doctor mixed animal practice based in South Jersey.
Christopher Eisgruber
Princeton University
Eisgruber has served as the 20th president of Princeton University since July 2013, after nine years as provost and joining the faculty in 2001. Under his leadership, Princeton has championed socioeconomic diversity; expanded access for first-generation and low-income students; and reinforced the university’s commitment to research, free speech and inclusive excellence. Recognized for his influence in higher education and beyond, Eisgruber was again named to NJBIZ’s Power 100 List earlier this year. Eisgruber has positioned Princeton at the forefront of innovation, including as a founding partner of the NJ AI Hub, collaborating with Microsoft, CoreWeave and the NJEDA to advance research, workforce development and AI commercialization. The university has also been on the frontline in advocating for the autonomy of higher education institutions amid federal policy pressures. He has emphasized the importance of free speech, academic freedom and service as central to Princeton’s mission, helping to guide the university through a rapidly changing social and political landscape.
Nariman Farvardin
Stevens Institute of Technology
Farvardin has served as the seventh president of Stevens Institute of Technology since 2011, making him the longest-tenured president among four-year institutions in New Jersey. Under his leadership, Stevens has undergone a renaissance, with significant gains in enrollment, faculty, research funding, philanthropic support and campus development. Major milestones include the opening of the University Center Complex and the Gateway Academic Center, both LEED Gold-certified facilities. Farvardin successfully completed the university’s first 10-year strategic plan, “The Future. Ours to Create,” and in 2022 instituted the subsequent plan, “Stevens 2032: Inspired by Humanity, Powered by Technology,” which focuses on student experience and success, research and innovation, academic reputation and a connected community. Farvardin has prioritized student success and STEM pathways, exemplified by the Accessing Careers in Engineering and Science program, which since 2017, has provided pre-college scholarships and mentorship to students from under-resourced communities. Earlier this year, Johnson & Johnson donated $100,000 to fund summer STEM programming for 30 students, reinforcing the program’s mission to build a talent pipeline.
Aaron Fichtner
New Jersey Council of County Colleges
Fichtner serves as president of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, the organization governed by the presidents and trustees of the state’s 18 community colleges. Representing more than 230,000 students across 47 locations, the council drives collaboration, builds partnerships and develops innovative solutions that expand opportunity and strengthen New Jersey’s workforce. Fichtner, who previously served as New Jersey’s labor commissioner, has guided several major initiatives during his tenure, including the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities program, a statewide collaborative effort that unites educators, employers, labor and government to align training with the evolving needs of industry. Earlier this year, Fichtner helped launch NJBioFutures, a public-private partnership housed at Raritan Valley, Middlesex and Mercer County community colleges, that includes Johnson & Johnson as founding sponsor.
Perry Halkitis
Rutgers School of Public Health
Halkitis is an infectious disease epidemiologist, applied statistician and public health psychologist who has served as dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health since 2017. Under his leadership, the school has grown in size and stature, now ranking No. 16 nationally, with student enrollment surging due to a focus on modern pedagogy and innovative programs. Halkitis has overseen the launch of the world’s first MPH concentration in LGBTQ+ Public Health, a Nutrition Public Health concentration, a Nutrition Public Health/Registered Dietitian joint program, an MSW/MPH and three fully online programs. He has also championed global learning opportunities in countries including Botswana, Colombia, England, Greece, India and St. Lucia, allowing students to engage with diverse populations and perspectives. Halkitis is the founder and director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies, a nationally recognized center addressing the well-being of marginalized populations. In August, he received the J. Michael McGinnis Leadership Excellence Award from the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science.
Merodie Hancock
Thomas Edison State University
Hancock is president of Thomas Edison State University, a role she has held since 2018. Known for championing access, equity and success for nontraditional learners, she has driven significant growth and innovation at the University, expanding opportunities for adult students, veterans and working professionals. Under her leadership, TESU has launched workforce-aligned initiatives that connect education directly to career advancement. These include a $5 million Apprenticeship Degree Initiative with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, announced in July 2025; partnerships with the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to integrate registered apprenticeships with college credit; and new stackable undergraduate certificates that allow students to build credentials in high-demand fields while progressing toward degrees. TESU has also redesigned its Master of Public Administration program, reducing credit requirements to improve accessibility without sacrificing rigor. Hancock’s efforts emphasize flexible pathways, ease of transfer and translating professional experience into academic achievement, ensuring that students can pursue personal, academic and professional growth simultaneously.
Richard Helldobler
William Paterson University
A first-generation college graduate of immigrant parents, Helldobler brings a personal understanding of the transformative power of higher education to his leadership William Paterson University. Under his tenure, the school has grown enrollment to over 10,000 students for the Fall 2025 semester, strengthened retention, and climbed to No. 60 on the U.S. News “Best Colleges” list for the North region — its highest-ever ranking. He was recently recognized by NJBIZ with its inaugural Executive Excellence Award for his leadership in higher education and community impact. Helldobler has championed initiatives that expand access, foster student success and advance social mobility. These include the Pledge 4 Success program, robust need-based support, and a redesigned first-year experience pairing students with Student Success Teams of academic, financial and career advisors. He has overseen the growth of WP Online, now enrolling over 4,300 students, and the launch of the College of Adult and Professional Studies to support adult learners and credit-for-prior-learning pathways. Additional initiatives include enhanced career readiness programs, expanded scholarships, and targeted efforts that have improved retention for historically underserved populations.
Nicholas Hirshon
William Paterson University
Hirshon is an associate professor of communication at William Paterson University where he has distinguished himself as both a scholar and a mentor to aspiring journalists. A former reporter for the New York Daily News, Hirshon has authored several books, including ‘We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders,” as well as titles in Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series on Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Forest Hills. His research has appeared in leading journals such as American Journalism, Journalism History and the International Journal of Sport Communication, earning recognition at national academic conferences. Hirshon has been honored repeatedly for excellence in teaching and mentorship. He is a two-time recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Outstanding Campus Adviser Award, the first educator to receive the distinction twice; and has received William Paterson University’s Students First Award (2023) and Faculty as Mentor Award (2025).
Ali Houshmand
Rowan University
Houshmand has served as president of Rowan University since 2012, bringing a dynamic, entrepreneurial approach to higher education and a personal commitment to expanding access, improving quality, and promoting economic development. Originally from Iran, he has used the education system to transform his own life and now champions opportunities for students across New Jersey. Under his leadership, Rowan has become one of the nation’s fastest-growing public research universities, more than doubling enrollment, earning Carnegie R2 designation, and completing $1.36 billion in construction projects with another $470 million underway. Rowan now operates two medical schools and, in 2025, opened New Jersey’s first veterinary school. Houshmand has strengthened workforce-aligned programs, including partnerships with community colleges offering 3+1 bachelor’s degrees and public-private initiatives like Rowan Boulevard. In July, Houshmand announced the Strategic Innovation Center in Camden and Mullica Hill, a multi-location accelerator supporting early-stage medtech companies with NJEDA, Cooper University Health Care, Garden State Venture Partners, and Plug and Play. In August, he was named chairman of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation, advancing career development and workforce readiness statewide.
Cindy Jebb
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Jebb is the fifth president of Ramapo College of New Jersey, assuming office in July 2021. A retired Brigadier General, Professor Emerita, and the first woman Dean of the Academic Board at West Point, Jebb brings nearly four decades of leadership, academic, and military experience. Her tenure has been marked by transformative growth, as the college has celebrated its largest and most diverse student enrollment, opened the renovated George T. Potter Library and Peter P. Mercer Learning Commons, and achieved national recognition through prestigious Fulbright, Gilman, and Boren fellowships earned by students, faculty, and staff. Jebb also introduced the Ramapo College Presidential Coin, honoring community members who embody boldness, kindness, and teamwork. In March 2025, Ramapo received a landmark $4 million gift from Susan and Nick Vallario, the largest in the college’s history. “As an institution, we can position ourselves on the leading edge of change if we are brave enough to ask: What’s next? We are not to be complacent, but always stretching, being bold, prudently accepting risk, while always grounded in our values and our students’ best interest,” said Jebb.
Michael Johnson
New Jersey Innovation Institute
Johnson is president of the New Jersey Innovation Institute at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, which is focused on fostering innovation, accelerating translational research and upskilling workers. Johnson is a scientist-turned-founder who evolved into a strategic executive leader. His journey began in the lab but quickly moved to the boardroom after co-founding and scaling Visikol, a biotech startup launched during his Ph.D studies at Rutgers University. As CEO, he built Visikol into a leading player in advanced imaging and 3D cell culture before exiting to BICO in 2021 for $19.5 million. Following the acquisition, Johnson transitioned from entrepreneur to executive, gaining firsthand experience operating within a publicly traded life sciences company as the chief commercial officer for several operating companies. At NJII, he leads initiatives across AI, defense, health care and entrepreneurship that drive economic development, accelerate commercialization and shape New Jersey’s innovation economy. His path has not been linear, and he believes the best leaders combine technical depth with entrepreneurial grit and long-term vision.
Robert Johnson
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
The first alumnus to serve as dean of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School – appointed in 2011 – and subsequent service as interim dean of the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, which ended in 2022, Johnson was the first leader to oversee two medical schools at once. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and serves on the Advisory Committee of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences of the National Research Council’s National Academy of Sciences. He chairs the New Jersey Governor’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and Related Blood Borne Pathogens and the Newark Ryan White Planning Council. A 2021 recipient of the NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award, Johnson’s clinical expertise and research focuses on adolescent physical and mental health, adolescent HIV, adolescent violence, adolescent sexuality, health equity and family strengthening. He is the author of “The Race Trap,” a Harper Collins Business Book that addresses the pitfalls commonly encountered in communications across the racial divide, and “Strength for Their Journey,” a guide for parents of African American teens, published by Doubleday.
Continue to 2025 Education Power List: K – Z
